


Prayers

by Farashe



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 05:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4293291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farashe/pseuds/Farashe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt on Tumblr. Cullen prays at key moments during the events of Inquisition, and all his prayers seem to revolve around one specific elf...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prayers

When the sky opens and the Conclave vanishes in magic and flame, Cullen prays for the souls of the lost, and he prays for the families now torn asunder. He prays for the future of Thedas and worries that that future is now doomed to be filled with war and strife. When a lone survivor is taken prisoner, suspected of causing the destruction, Maker forgive him, Cullen prays for vengeance.

When Haven falls, Cullen prays for a miracle. Not for the Inquisition. No, he has faith that Andraste’s Herald will prevail in buying them the time needed to escape into the mountains. Instead, the miracle he wants is the Herald’s life. He prays that his last memory of her won’t be the sad, determined look in her eyes. He prays that he’ll hear her laugh again.

At Halamshiral, Cullen prays for patience. He’s certain his prayers go unheard as each giggle or lingering look or “accidental” touch from the surrounding nobles brings him closer to snapping. Worse are the overheard whispers of “rabbit” and “knife-ear” whenever the Inquisitor is near. But even more than patience, Cullen prays for freedom, not his own, but for the Inquisitor. He prays that she does not succumb to the tangled webs of the Orlesian Game. And as he holds her in his arms at the end of the night, moving to the music wafting onto the balcony from the ballroom, he believes that maybe someone heard his prayers after all.

His hands shake and sweat coats his skin as he contemplates the lyrium before him, and Cullen prays for strength but fears it won’t be enough. He prays Myrlana will forgive him his weakness then scolds himself for desiring something he can never deserve. But most of all, he prays for his chains to break, and as he picks up the wooden box and hurls it away from him, he prays for the nightmare to end.

When Cullen watches the Inquisitor fall from Adamant’s walls and through a tear in the Veil, he prays that his eyes are playing tricks. He prays for it to be a cruel deception. As he slowly comes to admit the reality, he can only pray to remain standing as he watches demons battle his soldiers, waiting for yet another miracle from the elven woman he’s come to love.

Cullen prays for luck as he watches the Inquisitor enter the Temple of Mythal. He holds tightly to the token she refused to deprive him of, and so he prays that any luck it holds follows her anyway. He prays that Myrlana’s gods are watching over her, that Mythal really is the embodiment of protection, that She’ll shield the brave woman now within Her temple’s walls.

When the Inquisitor leaves to face Corypheus on final time, Cullen prays. His emotions overwhelm his thoughts so there are no words, no specific requests; he just opens his aching heart and begs Andraste to bring her back to him. When she returns victorious, he pulls her into his arms and offers a prayer of fervent gratitude. Later, when he holds her against his chest, watching the sun rise from her balcony, he prays that the peace and happiness of the moment never fades.

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was just "prayers" and I _loved_ it. In fact, I wrote two things for it. This idea popped into my head first, but as soon as I finished writing it down, the second idea came to me. I'll post the second thing soon.


End file.
